MartinB

44 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Ideally with the BB2 tweeter control at nil, 50% and 100%.

I'm hoping we might get some of this in the planned video with drive/distortion examples. You'd expect them to sound as painfully fizzy with the HF driver on full as they would through the DI. I'm interested to see what the BB2 with the HF driver partially on has to offer beyond what the SC can already do.

The Level knob on the Spark goes below unity (because it also has a Gain knob). I don't know about the Spark Mini.

If you want a solution in a single box, it might be worth getting in touch with a UK pedal builder. I'm no electronics expert, but a single-knob clean boost with a balanced output doesn't sound like it should be all that complicated.

Off the top of my head:
Bright Onion (https://www.brightonion.co.uk/)

Orchid Electronics (http://orchid-electronics.co.uk/index.htm)

RayGun FX (http://fuzzboxes.co.uk/)
I'm sure there's plenty of others.

It's really interesting as a demonstration of how the different cabs respond to the same input. I think using it to draw a conclusion about which one you prefer is missing the point a bit, since that depends on whether you like the sound of that particular bass to begin with 😆

A Spark or similar clean boost takes care of the gain, but if you want a balanced signal you'd have to put something like this afterwards:
https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/na2m-j-tx

Are you sure you need a balanced signal though? My understanding is that the kind of interference that might cause an issue for instrument/mic-level signals isn't really noticeable at line level.

6 hours ago, Maude said:

 the bass player was using a Steinberger or Hohner cricket bat type bass, which I wouldn't have visualised a ska band using, but it was one of the best sounding basses I've ever heard, it sat perfectly in what they were doing. 

I saw the Skatalites a few years back, and the bassist played one of those. I was surprised!

I don't have a B1 Four to test, but the following patches on a B1on appear to behave the same:
- Bypass (no effects)
- Ba Squeak (Rat) with Bal set to 0% (i.e. fully dry)
- Ba Squeak (Rat) with Bal set to 100% (i.e. fully wet), but bypassed
So that suggests that it's functioning as a clean blend.

It does look like there's a slight reduction in output below ~50Hz and above ~3kHz, but that's present on all three patches - so it could be a characteristic of the Zoom as a whole. Maybe that's what Al is hearing? I don't know how noticeable it is without a separate clean signal parallel to the whole unit for comparison. If anyone fancies doing a blind test, I could do some sample clips. I'm on furlough, so I've got time for such nerdery! 🤓

On 06/06/2020 at 11:48, Al Krow said:

The one tip I would share is that the drive sims tend to lose a fair bit of low end on the Zoom multis and as it's not possible to parallel route the effects to allow you to properly blend in some clean to your signal, I've solved that by using a Boss LS2 pedal and putting the Zoom into the Boss's parallel loop.

That's odd - pretty much all of the drive pedals on the older B1on had a blend control.  I wonder why they removed it on the new version? 🤔

You may find you have more options if you get a basic USB audio interface, and then plug your pedals into it when you want to record.

I don't think you'll regret it. I've got a Reface YC (the drawbar organ one). It's really solidly built, extremely portable, and sounds fantastic! , I've been very very tempted recently to pick up a CP (electric piano) as well.
The mini keys feel fine to me, but that's what I'm used to - I've never played a full-sized keyboard. 🤷‍♂️
One-handed stuff is exactly what you need in most band contexts anyway. We all know that the keys player shouldn't be intruding on the bassist's frequency range... 😁

Yep - there's a 3.5mm stereo socket for Aux In

I would guess that these albums are most likely to:

• Have been recorded using way more expensive gear than the previous album, as the band all went out and bought their dream guitars/amps/etc.
• Contain songs about:
  • How hard it is being famous
  • How lonely it is being on tour/away from home

Interesting! I didn't think my Precision was particularly low-output, but with it my Elf stays clean right up until the distortion circuit kicks in at the end of the Gain dial. I don't get a red light either - only green (signal) and amber (compression). Pretty much the same as described below:

On 28/05/2020 at 13:20, DiMarco said:

At low gain it is nice and clean, but not clinical sounding like many other small class D amps. When dialing in more, the led will turn yellow and you can clearly notice it limiting because it is applying quite a lot of it pretty quick. It is only on lots and lots of gain where it gives you its breakup, but again lots of it. There is no slight breakup.

☝️ What MoJo said. The AmPlug is the best option if you need something that will mount directly onto your bass, but in every other scenario it is outclassed by the B1on.

@agedhorse will know what to do!

On 08/05/2020 at 14:03, thebassist said:

"The sound of the Mini One is beautifully transparent - it doesn’t appear to colour the inherent tone of my basses at all, which is exactly how I like my amps to work! In comparison with the Genz Benz Shuttles, the bottom end of the Mini One feels more focused, and the mids are very punchy, so slap and more percussive fingerstyle cut through the mix very well. And the top end is nice and airy, and you really have to dial it way up before it starts to get harsh and brittle"

That's interesting... I also have a Shuttle 9.2, and with the controls at 12:00 it's completely transparent/neutral/flat.

If you only need to replace the audio, have a look at Reaper - it actually has basic video capabilities in addition to being a fully-featured (free!) DAW.

Oh wow, thanks @Pirellithecat - that's very generous of you!

I'm interested to see how you get on. I've also got one of those Standard Specials, and on one of the tuners a piece of the shaft that the "ear" grips onto has broken off. It still tunes alright, but I know it's going to give up on me at some point!

Lumpy, stumpy, pointy... it's amazing how many companies will ruin a good-looking bass with an ugly headstock.
The silhouette on some Reverend basses is one of the better attempts, but then they ruin it with a giant badly-placed "R" logo:

 

Some thoughts on the 20:

• I've recorded with it through a mic'd up cab. I assume the preamp and transformer output are also fine, but I haven't really used them beyond testing that they work.
• It's loud enough for rehearsal. It may well be loud enough for a gig - I haven't tried it though. Usual caveats apply: I've never played a gig that didn't have PA support; my band plays at non-deafening volume and doesn't fight over frequency ranges; my cab is efficient (Barefaced One10 or Super Compact).
• It is a pain in the derrière to carry. The odd shape means there's nowhere convenient to grip it in one hand. I haven't yet found a container that has the right dimensions and doesn't cost the earth.
• It's surprisingly clean with a passive bass. Even at full gain, I have to use a clean boost in front if I want to to overdrive the pre-amp.

Gearnews did a roundup of some options the other day - might be something here to interest you:
https://www.gearnews.com/defeat-corona-depression-with-these-10-online-music-collaboration-tools/

You kept Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da?!

Thinking Of You (Sister Sledge) has always been a bit of a white-knuckle experience for me. Lots of slippery staccato notes that need careful muting... and then there's a couple of big sections with no bass, perfect for letting the mind wander and then being taken by surprise when it starts up again!
 

The control names look daft, but a felt tip or some electrical tape will take care of that! 😄

Have the middle part of the fascia as a drawer that you can pull out for storing plectrums, batteries, etc.
Maybe there's even enough room for a rackmount unit? 🤔😆